The Hunted
by Sarah August
Summary: Sequel to The Return. Ten years have passed and Elena can no longer fight her urge to finish what Esther had started. She is going to kill the originals. All of them. Will Elijah be able to save her, one last time?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **The Hunted

**Summary: **It is ten years since Elena Gilbert, the newly turned vampire hunter, had left Mystic Falls with Elijah. The originals slowly return to Mystic Falls to regroup as Elena is coming to kill them. Pairings: Elijah/Elena, Stefan/Rebekah, Damon/Katherine.

**Notes: **This is the sequel to my story, The Return. AU. Based ten years after season 3.

**Category: **AU

**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Vampire Diaries.

**Author: **Sarah August

**Chapter 1**

_"What the hell, Katherine? Where have you been?" Damon Salvatore glared viciously, hatefully at his former love, the one who bore the face of the girl he loved presently. This was the love that taught Damon never to trust, never to let yourself feel. If you did, you'd regret it forever with a world of pain. _

_Katherine Pierce smiled seductively up at the eldest Salvatore brother, struting her way into his house. "Missed you too, Damon," She cooed mysteriously. "I came back, for you," She purred, finding her way into his arms. _

_"Yeah, I find that hard to believe," Damon spat. "The last time you said that I ended up dead. My brother ended up dead. After we both had our time in your bed, Katherine," Damon finished, stepping out from her tempting arms. _

_"Oh, I was just having some fun," said Katherine, trying to giggle. She gave Damon a hard push to the floor and the wind vibrated beneath them. "Wanna have some fun, Damon?" She then offered, finding her way into his lap. _

_He pulled her hair back and she cried out. "Tell me why you're really here," He threatened, clearly enjoying this game now._

_"I came looking for the doppelganger, but I heard I was too late. Elijah turned her into a vampire and took her away," replied Katherine, her eyes dancing in pleasure. "What a shame, poor thing," She then grinned. _

_"Damon, you know you want me," She then continued, moving upon him. "Why fight it? You wanted her, because you couldn't have me. I'm here now, Damon," She finished before stealing his kiss. _

_"My brother turned you down, huh?" He then shot back, biting her lip. _

_"He was with that original he was slinking with, years back," Katherine admitted, pouting. "Trying to get over my doppelganger, I assume."_

_Damon paused, considering her for a moment, enjoying the hurt look in those dark eyes. Elena was long gone. Why should he go through eternity by himself for when he didn't have too? "What the hell," breathed Damon, crushing those lips above him to his own. _

He should have expected it.

Why else would his brothers little Petrova doll come his way for? Nick was already dead. Mikael had been killed by her hand when he tried to come after Elijah three years ago. Finn, the poor bugger, had been executed in his coffin just last year. Three originals died because of Elena Flemming. Trained by the human vampire hunter in Mystic Falls, Alaric Saltzman, Elena had become a deadly foe.

A deadly, vicious, seductive foe who held the key to his big brothers heart as she killed off his family, one by one. And she was in his house, here to kill him.

He should have listened to Rebekah and tried to run and find Elijah for protection.

The white oak stake went home, deeply, and Kol felt nothing more.

Elena got off the bed, smiling, proud. Her work was nearly done.

Then maybe, she could rest.

"Sister, I see that you have found new lodgings," noted Elijah, taking in the view of the Salvatore boarding house living room. "I'm surprised to find you here, after the way your, _relationship_, had ended the last time. And then came his rejection of you."

Rebekah scowled darkly at her older brother. All at once she had been happy to see her brother still lived, and then he had to speak, taking it all away.

"Stefan is long over his need for high school girls," spoke Rebekah with a smirk. "Caroline... won't be a problem, thanks to Katherine. She killed her in a jealous rage, six years ago, after Stefan rebounded back to Caroline after Elena left with you. Stefan, the poor dear, still has no idea it was Katherine who killed her. No matter, he's all mine. Katherine has the other one now."

"Ah, Damon, the other one," spoke Elijah rather darkly, surprising his sister.

"What is the matter, Elijah? You got the girl in the end. She choose you despite her feelings for the Salvatores."

"Elena wanted me because she intended to kill me," Elijah replied back softly. "There was apart of her that still believed she had sincere feelings for me, but she only had the lust to kill me."

"Are you still together?" Rebekah pressed, rather enjoying hearing that things had fallen apart for her lovesick brother.

"Sometimes," said Elijah wistfully. "But not since she killed Mikael."

"You never cared for father," Rebekah tried to argue but Elijah quieted her with a hand.

"No," Elijah admitted, trying not to recall such dark history. "But I soon realized that I was fighting a lost battle for Elena. No matter what I say or do for her, the woman that I love is going to hunt me down and kill me."

Rebekah felt a sudden wave of fear for her brother. It was true.

"Kol is dead," Elijah said suddenly, looking his sister in the eyes for the first time. "She killed him last night in Paris. Kol believed her to be Katherine."

Rebekah sighed sadly. "He did have a sad little thing for that whore," She quipped nastily.

"I'm going to stay in Mystic Falls, Rebekah. I believe Elena is following me here. You should go."

"What?" She was stunned. "But the other hunter is still here, Elijah. He will be looking for you if she is coming here."

"I know," Elijah said, feeling drained. He no longer wanted to run anymore. Apart of him knew what it meant. He longed to die because he would never have her. Not really. The girl he had loved died ten years ago by his own hand. He had believed he was saving her.

If he had only known how wrong he had been.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

She should be used to hurting those who dared to care about her. Her entire adult relationship with Elijah consisted of pain, more hurt and finally it had been sealed with her death. It didn't turn out as she had first pictured it, that was for certain.

They had continued on anyway, both willing to pretend that he never decided to make her a vampire, or that his mother hadn't cursed her into a creature entirely bent on destroying him and his entire family.

And destroyed them, Elena did, and with great pleasure. When she couldn't get one of them, she killed other vampires instead. It helped control things, but only for awhile. It had been the only way it would control things. In that brief time, she had been allowed a somewhat normal life. She lived with her lover, traveling from place to place. They had taken great joy in simply just being together.

It was when things got out of control, it began to sour for them. At first, Elijah tried to get it. He tried to understand that it was the vampire part of her doing this. Elena would often leave him during the night, hunting down the most attractive, most seductive vampires that she could find. She seduced them, sometimes repeatedly, before drinking them dry of blood. It was the only way to keep the urges at bay. It had been the only way she knew to avoid murdering her lover in his sleep as she took his sweet blood. All of it, too.

Elena often dreamed of killing Elijah. Sometimes the dreams smothered her desire and love for him. It caused her to leave him for a time too. He had always welcomed her back, too. But it always got harder for him to do so.

Elijah had caught her feeding, more than once. That wouldn't be so bad, if she didn't often sleep with her victims first before killing them. There had been three so far, only, where she hadn't fucked her food before consuming it.

Mikael had been like a father figure to Elena, in his own, odd, distant, harsh way. So she had made him a clean kill. She never even drank him. She just staked him.

Finn, like a sleeping baby, had been entirely helpless. She never slept with him either before making the kill.

Kol, had reminded Elena of a young version of the vampire she loved and greatly longed for. She couldn't resist his bed before killing him. She had pretended to be Katherine, knowing full well he'd never want his brothers woman for fear of his wrath.

There had been a human Elena had slept with once who had reminded her of Damon Salvatore. She had found him dead the next day, ripped to pieces. It had been during one of her many times away from Elijah, but Elena knew her young human had died at his hand.

Elijah had been growing more intensely jealous as the years had went on. It had been her fault though. She brought out that side of him when she was like this. In many ways, Elena had wronged Elijah more than Katherine had ever did. But he had gone on loving her anyway. Until now.

Now, he had enough. He was done.

And Elena had never felt more utterly broken. So she was going to find him, and then beg him to let her die.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Beks, where the hell is my brother?"

Rebekah scowled viciously at noticing the presence of Damon Salvatore inside the living room of the boarding house. "Leave me be," She spat, still looking at her magazine.

"What's up your apple tree?" Damon said accusingly. "You haven't seen me in a year and this is the treatment I get?"

"Your little harlot dump you again?" Rebekah asked with a sneer. As much as she loved Stefan, she lothed his brother to his very core.

"No, actually," Damon said after a long silence, clearly smarting about Katherine. "I heard the hunters are back, I wanted to warn _Stefan_._ Not you_." He added for good messure.

"Well, you don't have to tell us. We already know," spat Rebekah viciously.

"How do you know? Rick_ try _to kill you?" Damon offered gladly.

"Not him. Your sweet little _Elena_ killed my brother Kol," Rebekah admitted, tossing the magazine across the floor.

"What?" Damon looked as if Rebekah had slugged him. She had said the one word that was still a hurt for both Salvatore brothers. Both had gladly fallen for the latest doppelganger, and both had been equally crushed by her rebounding and eventually choosing Rebekah's own brother Elijah over them.

"That's right." beamed Rebekah, taking joy in his pain. "Tell that to your dear little _Katerina_. Elena Flemming has returned to kill _us all_."

* * *

"Hello Rick," smiled Elena, sincerely happy to see one of the rare friends she had made in Mystic Falls during her human life. Imediately she sensed he was still the vampire that Esther had made him to be after Elena had become one herself, and Elena was happy he was still here. He was one of the few people in her life she couldn't kill. If she died, he died, and if he died, she would die as well. She was certain of it.

If only part of her had remained human like Alaric's turn into vampirism. He was still human, but also a vampire because she had become one thanks to Elijah's theory that it had been the best thing for her.

If he had only decided not to turn her, perhaps things would be different for them now.

"Elena, I'm suprised to see you back here," He said softly, but pleased to see her too. Rick allowed her to enter his home. "I heard you got the youngest one a few days ago."

He winced imediately upon seeing the hurt in her dark eyes at the mention of Kol. Although she longed to kill the originals, there was a part of Elena that hated doing it too. It was the part that still was in love with one of them, despite knowing how that relationship was going to end.

"I did," Elena said uneasily. "I didn't want too... not really. But I couldn't... I couldn't stop it. I had too..."

Alaric gently reached out and touched her shoulder. "Elena, they've did nothing but hurt people, kill people, for a thousand years. You are doing a good thing by doing your work, however badly it may make you feel."

"I wonder if she'll free me if I kill them all," Elena wondered aloud, sounding a bit lost and sad.

Alaric looked back at her at a loss on what to say. "Why are you back here, Elena?" He pressed again after a long silence.

"I wanted to find Elijah," She admitted with a heavy sigh. "Do you know if he's still at Mikael's house? I thought I'd ask you first, being the local vampire hunter and all," Elena finished dryly.

"Are you going to kill him?" Alaric asked, surprised she'd intentionally seek out the one vampire she wanted to protect against her wrath for all these years. Perhaps Elena had decided to finally get it over with.

"Actually, I'm hoping that he'll kill me," answered Elena honestly. "I never wanted this life, Rick. If I can't be with him... then, I don't want this."

Alaric could see the emotion in her face, but couldn't help but fear her words. If she died, would he die too, or would he become human again? Maybe he'd get the chance to start again with the girl that had got away from him. Not Isobel, but Jenna Sommers, the young school teacher he had started seeing before all of this had started.

All the sudden, secret days he could no longer spend with her had quickly damaged their relationship beyond repair. Jenna lost her trust in him and he had suffered in silence as he had tried to help his former wife's daughter from her fate.

"Elena, don't give up just yet. I realize that you love him, but don't give up your life just because he can't deal with you being something he helped create. There are others who still care about you. I know that Damon and Stefan are still here, and niether really got over you..."

Elena's eyes filled with tears upon the mention of the brothers she had nearly ruined forever. She had got involved with both Damon and Stefan, and if she hadn't fallen for Elijah, she'd likely still be caught between them both. With one Salvatore, came the other too. Elena couldn't bare to revisit her old feelings for them. Not when she knew she still was in love with Elijah, and he was the only one she'd ever really want. Elena couldn't return to the Salvatores because she knew that she'd only be using them, no matter what brother she picked this time.

"I just can't go there, Rick. Part of me will always care for them, especially Damon. But I know that my feelings for him can't stop what I feel, what I know that I want, with Elijah. It just can't compare."

"Tell Elijah how you feel. Maybe you can, maybe you can get things right this time. Just don't die, okay?"

Elena blinked, finally realizing how selfish this visit had been. Expecting support from Rick to die when that would mean he could die too. "Rick, look, I was so stupid. i completely ..."

He raised a hand. "It's okay, Elena. Just do me a favor and don't ask Elijah to kill you. The way things have been between you two, he just might do it..."

Elena tried to laugh but it hurt to do so. So instead, she hugged Alaric. Glad to have one vampire in the world that didn't expect anything from her but to go on living.

* * *

_"Elijah, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean..."_

_Elena dared to hurry after him through their apartment. He stopped, giving her his best deadly stare that made it clear she should stop chasing after him instantly. Always remorse between them, always sadness and pain. He hated it and he was begining to hate her for making him feel this way. _

_He knew that their relationship would not be a simple one. That when she finally admitted her feelings and that she wanted him, there would be a powerful part of her that would do anything for a taste of vampire blood. Literallly anything was worth a kill to his Elena. Even risking the loss of their relationship and the life they had constructed together. As much as that in itself threatened to break every part that was left of his soul, Elijah had found a way to try and put up with it. Because putting up with her new tastes meant that he could share this life with her. _

_But he had finally reached the point where he could tolerate her doing this to them no longer. _

_He would not go on to share her with what she considered to be her food now. It hadn't been so bad at first as he could recall how his own blood lust had consumed him once too, but when he finally caught her that first time, and the times that followed, mating with her food before finally killing them, it had shattered a deep part of himself that he had allowed to feel love again... he just couldn't do this anymore. He'd not only kill the ones that dared to try and share his beloved in such a personal way, Elijah found himself wanting to lash out at Elena herself for every betrayal she put between them. _

_"You do mean it, Elena, all of it," Elijah finally spoke, barely standing to look at her. "And you have done so, again and again. And I have forgiven it, until now. Until him!" He pointed to the young male in her bed._

_"I thought I'd try something different. You don't understand..."_

_"Just don't," Elijah spat bitterly, hurtfully. "You not only pick a human this time, you pick one that looks like your old lover. Did you not think I'd notice, Elena," Elijah started hatefully, filled with a rage that Elena had never seen before. "That your new pet looks just like Damon Salvatore... this goes beyond just food..."_

_"Elijah," started Elena, completely at a loss now. "What do you expect from me? I haven't seen you in weeks... I thought you were done with me. With us... I was tired of being alone," She shouted with emotion, and it was then something happened that changed everything between them forever. _

_He did the one thing he never thought he'd do. Not to her. _

_His eyes flashed red and he lunged for her heart. Elena stared back at him in horror as Elijah held her heart in his very hand, thinking he would pull it out, making it literally his, always and forever. _

_"Just do it," Elena declared bravely, brokenly. "Because if I have lost you..."_

_With those words, he pulled his hand back from her chest, leaving her heart in tact. The tears from them both said it all. They still passionately loved each other, but... it was over. Elijah staggered back from her, still in disbelief at what he had nearly done. _

_He could never hurt Elena, not really. And yet, here they were now. _

_"Elijah, no," She begged him from her new place on the floor. "I'm so sorry, I'm sorry..."_

_Her face so bright with her grief, Elena couldn't bring herself to stand, all though her deadly injury was quickly recovered. _

_"I can't," He whispered from a safe distance, across the room. His face bright too, showing unmasked emotion that consumed him now. Elijah was not used to caring about anyone but his family. Loving Elena had been a challenge he never thought he'd pass. He had been right. _

_It was simply too much for a vampire that was not custom to loving someone so intensely. It was too much for a vampire to be expected to take hurt after hurt, blow after blow, watching her take and feel with others. Elijah could no longer do it. _

_The boy was dead by nightfall, but he still didn't feel like himself. The loss of Elena was too much. Elijah didn't think he'd ever get the tears to stop falling down his face. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

He could see her from a distance safely enough. Elena was entering the home of Alaric Saltzman, looking like the fresh young girl he first knew years ago. At first glance, no one could guess that she was no longer a fresh-faced eighteen year old girl with her whole life in front of her.

Elena would be twenty-eight now, had she still been human. Likely graduated, a writer, wife of some young, equally fresh-faced young man, proud young mother to a couple of babies with her dark eyes and looks to match. At least, that was how Elijah pictured his love in these moments where the guilt still threatened to take hold.

Her husband would have been nothing like himself, but more like a Matt Donavan type, he suspected. Elijah heard some of the conversation inside, unwillingly. He still tuned himself to her on instict, even when he didn't want too, or was even really thinking about it.

It had been a viciously lonely year without her. She was the sun to his darkness, no matter how much her light threatened to take him whole. Elijah longed to be with her so intensely, he often thought he'd die on the spot from their long seperation.

He knew that Elena considered Alaric Saltzman to be a friend and nothing more. He was a mentor to her where he had failed to be. Still, the teacher was someone that Elena cared about, still cared about, and still had the pleasure of her company. Elijah knew it wasn't needed to be this jealous of the teacher as he did not have the type of relationship with Elena that should give Elijah cause to feel this way. But Elijah still could not help how he felt.

Elijah knew there was still a chance that Elena would accept him back. Even after the destructive, violent way he had chosen to end things last time. But he couldn't risk a reunion with her while still nothing had changed for either of them.

So he would have to continue on doing what he had too in order to speed things along. He'd have to help Elena along in finishing her task. Kol and Klaus were dead, Mikael too, and Finn. That left himself and Rebekah.

Then when it was all said and done, hopefully his mother would grant him the chance to see Elena happy again.

Startled from his thoughts, Elijah found himself unexpectedly being stared at from the object of his thoughts. Elena had exited Alaric's house and had found him through the traffic and busy public with those deep dark eyes of hers. Pain reflected there which matched his own, and she then moved after him before Elijah could consider running away.

"You're here," She said softly, her dark hair loose, reminding him of when he first saw her years ago. He had thought she had been Katerina, the bewitching girl that had managed to steal his heart blind before ripping it to pieces with her betrayal. The girl that dared to have Tatia's same face, drawing him in. Elena had other qualities that had slowly crushed his resolve to feel nothing for that face, ever again. As they were the same in appearance, Elena couldn't have been more different from the three of the Petrova's. She had been capable of love, pure love, only for him, unlike the other two had been.

"I am," Elijah agreed, fighting the urge to shutter from her closeness. It had been too long, far too long. Emotions were again fighting to get the best of him where Elena was concerned. It was why he had fled from her, never looking back. It had hurt like hell to look back and remember what she had done.

She finally tried to touch him, to reach out to him, when words still escaped her too. Elijah gasped slightly when those soft fingers brushed the skin on his face and he backed away, feeling burned from her slightest touch. "Elena," He began softly, his voice shaking, his resolve falling apart.

"I love you, Elijah," She said quickly, when she sensed he was about to flee. "Please, stop running from me."

"Why?" He insisted back with a cold snap, finding the coldness that he was used to now where Elena was concerned. Right away, something died in her eyes at his reaction to her declaration. "You always know what to say, Elena, but you never mean it. Not anymore. Save your false words for someone who believes them still."

"I hurt you, I know it," She started with a different approch, surprising him. So much, he allowed her to hold onto his arm without thinking, keeping him there. "I feel it whenever I see you, whenever I think of you," Elena admitted the last like a secret, emotion thick in her voice. "And I can't stop thinking about you, Elijah."

"It doesn't matter, Elena," Elijah replied, finding his voice, trying to avoid those sharp dark eyes of hers. "Whatever this is left between us, it doesn't matter anymore. You came back here for them, and to kill me, and then this won't be in the way anymore of you and your Salvatore boys."

Elena finally let him go, deeply hurt by the accusation that she still wanted Damon and Stefan. "I don't want either of them, Elijah. I'm not even sure if I ever did. They were there for me. They both were, when I really needed someone to show they cared about me. But I honestly don't know if I ever loved either one of them."

Elijah laughed darkly at that, scaring her slightly, but she pressed on, oblivious to those that busied around them in the day light.

"It's true," Elena insisted, finding his arm again and he looked at her unwillingly. "Because when I thought I was figuring out what I wanted, I fell for you instantly. It was then that I knew it was the first time I was ever in love. I cared for Stefan and Damon, but what I feel for you, it cannot be matched. It cannot be touched. Please, Elijah," Elena pleaded lastly. "Please, don't walk away again. I know that I will die if you do."

Elijah seemed to be moved by her words, by her emotion over him, over their separation that obviously was slowly destroying them both inside. But just as fast as feeling crossed his handsome, sadden face, he closed himself off just as fast. "If you don't go ahead and do what you followed me here to do, Elena, I promise you, you will die, Elena. Because I will kill you with my bare hands if you ever try and tell me your lies again," He spat coldly, murderously.

"Then do it," Elena begged of him, almost wildly, grasping tighter on his arm. "Do something to show that you still feel something for me. I know that you do, Elijah. I know that you love me as much as I love you. Your mother will never take that away from us. Don't let her have that kind of hold over us."

"Elena," He pulled away from her, shaking from the intensity of his feelings for her.

"Look at me," She insisted. "Feel anything. Kill me, if you will. But don't deny how you feel about me, Elijah."

"Elena," He found her gaze again, his eyes filled bright with heartbreak and out right fear of her. "I want you," Elijah admitted, something in his eyes dying at his admission. "I will always want to be with you. But it isn't enough for you. I'm not enough for you. It will always be someone else. And then another, and then another," He finished weakly, tearfully.

"Elijah..." Elena dared to get too close and he then furiously tore himself away from her hands.

"I can't do it," He admitted, his voice shaking with regret. "I will not share you, no matter how much I may love you."

"I only want you," She promised thickly.

"For the moment," Elijah finished for her, cutting her off. "I know that there is a part of you that means that, Elena. But the way you hunt, that will always be there between us."

Tearfully, Elena looked away from him, feeling utterly gutted at the destruction she had willingly brought down upon them. It was true, she had no real regrets over how she hunted, how she kept the cravings at bay. Not if it meant she could steal more time for them.

"Goodbye, my love," Elijah then spoke, awarding her with a very rare touch by holding her face in his hands. "You'll find me, when you know it's time. I'll be here."

Elijah began to walk away again and Elena saught him out with her eyes.

"I don't want it to be this way," She spoke her fears aloud, softly so.

"I know," Elijah promised her back. "But we don't have a choice, Elena."

When a few cars buzzed by the house, Elijah was gone by the time she finished blinking.

It was true. She would hunt down and kill the man she loved, and it would be soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Elena was heading into the Mystic Grill to meet Rick for lunch the next day. No vampire really needed to eat like this, but it was a habit that few broke with.

Going in, Elena spotted someone that made her fill up with instant dread. It isn't that she hated him, or hated being in his company, but he was the last person she had wanted to run into while back in Mystic Falls. Simply because that Elijah, her beloved, her love, the one she was fighting to win back, still seen this vampire as a threat to the love they still bore each other.

Elena honestly never gave much thought to Damon Salvatore over the last ten years. There had been her one brief encounter with that human who kind of looked like him, but Elena had really paid no serious thought to the brief relationship she had shared with Damon in her youth. It had been sex, simply, that had drawn her in. There had been something about Damon that had been hot and wild, and it excited her to have that kind of person be interested in being with her. Especially after learning the boy she had liked at the time already had a girlfriend and failed to mention that to her. He gave her a great ego boost when it came down to it.

Damon was devilishly beautiful to look at. That had been a bonus too. The bad part was, Damon knew exactly how attractive he was and knew how to use that to charm and disarm until you grew weak in the knees.

As much as Elena knew she had been attracted to Damon, nothing had prepared her for really seeing Elijah like that for the first time. Standing naked, so gloriously naked in her bathroom, Elena knew she wanted him instantly. As much as she tried to run from the powerful pull Elijah had on her right away, she helplessly caved into her feelings.

Their relationship had been complicated from the start, and grew only more complicated as time went on. Mostly thanks to their own stupid choices, and mainly Elijah's family.

Elena sighed as Damon was upon her instantly. "Damon, I am actually here to meet an old friend..."

"I thought we were old friends, _Elena_," Damon cut in, catching her in his arms.

"We are... were..." Elena finished lamely. "Look, Damon, I am not in Mystic Falls to see you..."

"I heard you were back to kill the vampires, that true?" He insisted, still holding on to her.

"Damon, I'm not here to hurt anyone..."

"You slept with me the last time you were here, and my brother," He continued with a hiss. "Then you ran off with your precious_ Elijah_. Do you know how it felt to realize the woman that I love tried to kill me..._ used _me..."

"Damon," Elena snapped finally, pushing him away from her. "I don't want to review the past with you. I did use you, knowing how you felt, I admit it. But I choose the man that I want to be with. I'm sorry that I hurt you, okay? But we can't go back to the past, Damon. If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from me."

Elena then went to find Rick, trying to bury the flurry of feelings that seeing Damon brought back to her in a wave. It's not that she still loved him, or felt anything romantic for him at all, the only thing she still felt concerning Damon was waves of guilt, and fear that she might try and kill him again. And Elijah was still around, and if he seen how Damon still clearly felt about her, Elena had no idea what Elijah might do to snuff out any remaining feelings that Damon had for her.

"He found you," noted Rick as she sat across from him in the booth.

"He always finds me," Elena replied, sounding annoyed. "I think he'll stay away. For now."

"Want me to finally kill him for you?" offered Rick gladly, with a small smile.

Elena's mouth fell open. The idea sounded like music to her ears, but she really wasn't here to hurt anyone. She just wanted Elijah back. She had to learn to live like a vampire, the old fashioned way, if she and Elijah were to ever have a hope of getting back together. "No," Elena said, shaking her head. "I just want to be an old style vampire, one that drinks from blood bags. I'm done with killing, vampires and humans."

"You were created a hunter, Elena," Alaric argued back softly. "Of vampires. You won't be able to stop it forever."

"I just want to stop it until I can get Esther to take it all back," Elena insisted.

"She won't turn you human again, Elena," stated Alaric simply. "At least, not until all of the originals are dead."

"I know," She breathed with a sigh. "That's the problem."

"Maybe there is a way that you can give her what she wants, and still get what you want in the end, too."

"How?" asked Elena, confused.

"By killing Elijah and his sister."

"What?" Elena felt all the color drain from her face. Did Rick really think she'd agree to kill Elijah when here she was trying to find a way to get back together with him? "No... I can't..."

"Not with our weapon, Elena," offered Rick, cutting her off. "But with a white oak dagger and some ash from the old tree. It would kill them and they would be dead. And then when the time was right, you could remove the daggers, reactivating them."

"I didn't think those daggers still existed."

"I hid them from you. I didn't trust you when you started hooking up with Elijah, the vampire I wanted to kill."

Of course, Isobel. How could Elena forget about what became of her mother? Elijah hadn't been directly responsible for her dying, but he had made her what she was today. Of course Rick would still hate him for it. "I forget sometimes how deeply stupid I can be. I'm sorry, Rick."

"I remember what it's like. No worries," Rick offered kindly.

Elena failed to see that Rick's eyes were dead with his kindness.

Damon watched the two from a distance, worried for her.

* * *

Uneasily, Elijah made his way back to his family home in Mystic Falls. It seemed more quiet here now that he knew most of his family was dead. He had only ever wanted peace for them. Even for Niklaus and all his craziness.

But Klaus had to undo everything by going after the one thing that Elijah could not do without. Elena.

Sighing heavily, Elijah removed his suit jacket. His arm still felt burned where Elena had touched him, held him while she had pleaded, begged even for his forgivness. In his way he had given it to her, but it still hadn't been what he had needed to begin again with her.

Elijah wasn't even certain what he needed in order to be with Elena again. He longed for her, no just with his body, but with his very soul. His soul, which he had believed long dead, became hers when she picked to be with him over the Salvatores. Elijah placed his jacket in the near by closet, and was surprised upon sensing the presence of his younger sister, Rebekah, who had taken to living with the Salvatore brothers in Mystic Falls, resuming her long ago relationship with the younger brother, Stefan.

Elijah knew that part of Rebekah had never been able to quite let go of her feelings for Stefan Salvatore. She loved fiercely, passionately, and could never release those she loved from her heart, no matter how cold hearted she presented herself to be. But his surprise came from learning that Stefan wanted to resume the relationship. Stefan had enjoyed his sister, and their time together, but he had never returned her feelings. There had been no love from him for her.

Elijah found his sister sitting in the living room, and even more shocking, she wasn't alone. She was with someone he had not sensed at all. "Mother," He growled softly, glaring at his sister. How dare she bring her here to him!

"Hello, Elijah," Esther spoke kindly. "Please, do not think Rebekah has betrayed you. She truly had no choice."

"What do you want?" Elijah insisted. Rebekah looked impossibly back at him, feeling guilty for falling for her mothers tricks.

"I want to help Elena finish what she is still here to do," Esther said, shocking Elijah by her cold frankness.

"She won't kill him," Rebekah interjected. "She's had ten years and she still hasn't been able to bring herself to do it."

"Why not just kill us yourself, mother?" Elijah pressed, rather viciously so. "Why use _Elena_ like you have?"

"Because she'll be able to complete the task with no one stopping her because of how you feel for her," Esther replied cooly. "You will never try and kill her."

"So she can be killed?" said Rebekah curiously.

"Only if Alaric dies," replied Elijah, trying to bury a silent fear at his admitance.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Elena settled into Alaric's house, believing that was for the best. It would hopefully keep Damon at bay for awhile, giving her time to think of what she could do next to get him to leave her alone, should he come at her again.

If Elijah should catch on to how Damon still felt for her, Elena feared that the worst would happen to Damon and she'd never be able to help him if that was what Elijah decided should happen.

In a way, Elena knew that she still cared about Damon, but not in the way he wanted her too. There was a part of her still that admired him for his devotion and the love he bore her. And there was an even smaller part of her that wished she was capable of returning those feelings. But in this life, there was only one vampire that held such claim upon her heart. Elijah.

It had been a brutal and hard lesson for Elena to learn, and she had only learned the lesson fully after she had lost him. Now, she was in a position of where she may lose him forever, should she fail in convincing him that she was truly ready to try and make things work this time. If Damon were to get inbetween them, althought he was no real threat, it would shatter all faith that Elijah may have left in Elena. Elena couldn't allow that to happen.

By evening, she was unpacked. Alaric was away and wouldn't be back until tomorrow night. Elena had no idea where he was, but she appreciated his offer to stay with him all the same. Their relationship had evolved into a good friendship, a father and daughter sort of relationship, and Elena thought greatly of Alaric for taking the time to care that much about her. No one else had ever been in that role for her. Not really. Mikael had provided for her, listened to her, ensured she was raised by the best nannies. But he was never emotionally there for her as a father. But then, Elena grew up to learn that Mikael had actually been much worse to his own children. Elena had it lucky that he was never too involved in her life.

The front door opened and Elena rushed forward to discover who had entered the house uninvited. She hid at the top of the landing up the staircase by the door, using her vampire speed to go unnoticed to any human that might be here. She gasped in surprise in seeing who it was.

Elijah.

Her heart fluttered and she rushed towards him. "Elijah..." She breathed, taken by his closeness imediately. He stared at her, his dark eyes peircing and Elena knew there was something wrong.

A blue suited arm lunged for her in a blur, crushing her to him. She cried out. They had always been fairly matched physically, but this was the first time that Elijah seemed to not care if he was actually hurting her or not. "Elijah..." She whispered, feeling faint. Elena knew that she could fight him if she wanted too, and very likely over take him, but she didn't want to hurt him.

Before she could question him, they were gone in a flash from sight. Elijah breaking Rick's door frame on their way out.

* * *

Elijah was standing over her when she came too. Elena recognized their surroundings right away. They were at the family home of Mikael in Mystic Falls. This room was one of many, dressed as a small office.

"What... why are we here?" Elena insisted, forcing herself to ignore the headache she receieved when her head had cracked against Rick's doorframe when Elijah had literally snatched her from his house.

"We have to do this, now," He insisted strongly. Elijah turned around, revealing the thick oak stake that Esther had given her years before. One for her, and one for Rick. Elena gasped in horror at his suggestion. No. Every part of her screamed no. She couldn't do it. She wouldn't!

"No, Elijah," Elena shook her head, trying to reach for him, but he gave her the stake that fit so nicely into her hands. She stared at it, fighting the pull that she felt the instant Elijah placed it into her hands.

Suddenly, she longed to kill him. Elena had always enjoyed the taste of him. How it would feel to have it all... Her eyes changed and her vampire teeth exposed themselves. Elena felt it. She always felt it when that happened. It always hurt so much.

"Elijah, please..." Elena begged him, willing him to take the weapon from her before she used it. It would not be long until she used it against him. Her love.

"It won't take long," Elijah promised her, emotion thick in his voice. "One motion, and it's over."

"No," Elena shook her head, stepping back from the temptation. But still, she gripped the stake.

"You know it has to be done, Elena," Elijah pressed.

"No," Elena shook her head. "Why are you doing this?" She insisted tearfully. "You know that I don't want to kill you, Elijah."

"Fine," He said, giving into defeat. "Rick should be here soon then to do what you can't."

"What?" Elena felt herself shouting. "What? Why would he do that? He knows that it was going to be me... What is going on, Elijah?"

Betrayal stung her heart, her soul. Why would Rick kill Elijah knowing how important he was to her? He had agreed to let it be her that did the job.

"Esther came," Elijah admitted, rather sadly. "I foolishly admitted aloud to my sister one of my darkest secrets. One that I swore I would never give voice too. In a moment of weakness, of need to confess it, I said it to the wrong person. Forgive me, love," He then pleaded weakly.

"What are you talking about, Elijah?" Elena then pleaded, gripping his suit jacket. "Whatever it is, we'll deal with it."

"No," He said. "This cannot be undone. Rebekah knows that you can be stopped..."

Elena stared at him, finally understanding what Elijah was so upset about. He had given away her greatest weakness to a vampire that wanted her dead, had wanted her dead for years. Not that Elena blamed her. Even Elijah should want to see her dead. She had killed several members of his family, after all.

"She's going to kill Alaric," said Elena, feeling shakened to the core.

"Not if you kill me first," pressed Elijah, grabbing her hand that held her weapon.

"No," Elena cried, pulling away, shoving him in fact. "How can that solve anything?"

"Elena, if you kill me, you'll be human again," Elijah revealed. "It doesn't have to be you, it can also be Alaric."

"What?" Elena was stunned. She had always suspected such might happen, but she had never dared to ask Esther.

"Alaric is going to think that I tried to kill you, that I have kidnapped you," Elijah went on, making her quake with sudden fear. "He's going to come for you and get revenge."

"No," Elena cried out, barely controling her emotions now. She couldn't allow Alaric to kill Elijah for her. She couldn't bare the thought of killing him herself either. She loved Elijah. She wanted to be with Elijah forever. She didn`t care about what happened in the past. All Elena cared about was him. And now he had set himself up to die, for her. "Why did you have to do it?"

"I want you to have the life you should have lived," Elijah confesses with a whisper. "I do love you, Elena. That's why I need to let you go." He reaches and cups her face and kisses her. For an instant, everything feels right again. She has his love. Elena then cries out, startled, as he forces the stake through his own heart. "No," She screams. Elena falls to the ground with him. This can't be happening!

Elijah's skin goes gray, even as she tries to force the stake out from his chest. As the body begins to smoke, she still holds him, sobbing as she does so. Elena looks up when she realizes they aren't alone anymore. It's Alaric. He grabs her and forces her away from Elijah's slowly burning body. "Help him! Please!" She begs.

"Elena, it's too late," Rick tells her, making Elena want to rush forward again, but Rick stops her. It's then she realizes that Rick is stronger now. Much stronger.

What had they done?

Elijah's body stops burning, but the stake remains in place and Elijah is still dead. He looks human now, at peace.

"It was the only way to ensure your safety," Rick goes on. "To ensure theirs. I already took out Rebekah."

Elena began shaking, overwelmed. "So, they can still be reactivated?"

"Elena," Alaric shakes his head. "I'm not sure what Elijah told you, but he had a witch spell those stakes. Elijah and Rebekah will be revived when the doppelganger... you..." Rick finishes uneasily. "Dies."

"But I'm not the doppelganger anymore," started Elena in a rush. "I'm a vampire..."

"Not anymore," Alaric finishes. "When they were staked, our spell was broken. We are both human again as our job is finished." Rick turned to leave.

"That can't be it, Rick," Elena states, upset that he's just going to leave her.

"You deserve to have a human life, Elena, away from vampires," Rick tells her firmly, sadly, knowing it was the last thing she wanted for herself if it meant that life wouldn't include Elijah. "It's what Elijah wanted for you, it's what I always wanted back since Esther joined us."

He turns to go again, and this time Elena doesn't stop him. She can't stop him. Her vampire strength is gone, she's mortal again. Doomed to be without Elijah for the rest of her life.

Elena finally felt the weight of what happened fall over her, and she dropped to the floor and cried.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Elena sat there in place on the floor beside his body for what felt like days. She couldn't believe that this was it for them. Her love was actually gone, and she was literally powerless to stop it, because his mother had made it possible that she could still be human. And again, Elijah had made a life changing decision for her without talking to her about it first.

A part of her hated him for it, another part was relieved that it was all over. No more killing random vampires, no more killing members of Elijah's family. No more wanting to kill the man she loved.

"Elijah," Elena whispered tearfully, reaching out to touch the burnt material of his suit. She willed him to move, to do anything. But he continued to lay still. Elena wanted to scream, to cry again, but she felt like she had nothing left. Showing emotion again just seemed impossible.

Elena jumped up to her feet, suddenly startled upon seeing she wasn't alone in the room anymore. With a quick blur, a vampire had joined her and Elijah in the room.

"Who are you?" Elena shouted, forcing back waves of sudden fear.

Slowly, she was joined in the room by someone most unexpected. Someone she hadn't seen in years. Not since she had tried to kill him.

"Stefan..." Elena whispered softly, shaken upon seeing him before her.

This was the last place in time she had ever wanted to see the younger Salvatore brother again. As badly as she had hurt Damon, Elena had perhaps hurt Stefan even more so. He had only wanted the chance to love her, and Elena had used his feelings for her when she had been alone, and truly had no one else. There had been no real love on her part. He had been a way to kill time until things had become clear with Elijah and Elena could no longer deny her real feelings. Elena had then tried to kill him, wanting to end the new feelings being a vampire, had come on to consume her. Elijah had then, thankfully, been able to look beyond the dark side that had taken hold of her, and had offered to give her his help, and silently, his love and devotion as well.

"Elena, Rebekah told me what Elijah might be up too, and I thought I'd check it out," He offered, filling the hard silence between them. Stefan looked towards the body, and Elena found herself stepping between them, although it was completely useless. If Stefan was here for Elijah's body, she wouldn't be able to stop him from taking it.

"You're human," He then murmered, sounding in awe. "So that was how the spell did work... So Rebekah... she too..." Stefan started softly, looking for confirmation.

"That's what Alaric said," replied Elena, knowing he was asking if the same thing had happened to Rebekah as it did Elijah. "Although, I have no idea where she is," Elena confessed honestly.

"You know, there might be a way..."

"Anything," urged Elena, stepping towards Stefan, looking for any hope he could give her.

"Katherine might know of a way we could wake them up, and you would still be alive..."

Elena winced at her mention. She was Katherine's doppelganger, yet they had never really met yet. She was a painful reminder of the past to Elena. All the time she had spent wondering if the Salvatore brothers could actually love her, both vampires had never been able to quite release their feelings for the vampire that Elena had shared a face with. They had both transfered their feelings for Katherine to her, although both would swear that wasn't true.

"Look, Elena," started Stefan, seeing her uneasy feelings coming to the surface. "What is past, is past. I haven't thought about how things ended between us in a really long time."

Elena gave a hesitant smile. A brief memory flash of biting into Stefan's neck as she rode above him in bed, and then got up, leaving behind a broken body with a smile to her face. It had satisfied her, but only briefly. At least that was all over now.

"I'm glad you're okay Stefan," Elena replied, finally finding the words. "It's just Damon, well... it's very different for him."

Stefan flashed another sad smile at the mention of his brother. "It took him a long time to let you go. Even when he got with Katherine again, it was always you for him. Now you're back, and, well, Damon being Damon, he's having a hard time dealing with the fact that he still can't have you."

Elena sighed uneasily. She wondered if perhaps if she never had fallen in love with Elijah she might still be with Damon. Elena might have been able to be what he needed in another time and place. But her heart was now long decided upon Elijah. Damon would just have to accept what she really wanted.

"Do you know where Katherine is?" pressed Elena, choosing to forget about Damon.

"She should be at the boarding house," Stefan offered. "Come on!`

With a look of longing back at Elijah, Elena left with Stefan, hand in hand.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The boarding house was quiet. Elena knew that they weren't alone though. She kept thinking back to how she had just left Elijah laying out on the floor like that. Guilt consumed her now. This was all happening because of her, and she might not be able to save Elijah from this.

They were soon joined by a woman with long dark hair, and deep brown eyes, which were almost black. She smirked slightly, and Elena had the feeling that she was looking at a wild reflection of herself, but only she wasn't. This had to be Katherine, the vampire that had captured the hearts of both Salvatores, and had managed to bewitch her own beloved once upon a time. "Hello Katherine," Stefan started uneasily. "This is Elena Flemming," He said, "The girl I told you about."

"Hmm," Katherine began, sounding flirty. "You're nothing like I had ... expected..." She said teasingly.

"Can you help me?" Elena said, deciding to ignore her attempt to derail the conversation. Elijah was on the line, here.

"Oh, yes," Katherine pressed smugly. "You have yourself wrapped up with the originals, don't you? You're not very bright, are you?" Katherine continued, laughing lightly. Her laugh was so playful, it sounded as if it belonged to a child. For a moment, Elena wondered how old Katherine had been when she became a vampire. They looked exactly alike.

"You'd know," Elena bit back. "Can you help me or not?"

"I can help you, but I don't know if I should..."

"Katherine, you said you'd give us something if I brought Elena over here," Stefan snapped. "You got to meet her, now what can you do to help us?"

"Well, I like staying out of the originals way, so..." She trailed off teasingly so.

"All of the originals are either dead or inactive," Elena cut in. "What do you know, Katherine?"

"You really think you took out the first original hybrid, so easily, Elena?" Katherine countered back swiftly, enjoying the sudden worried look upon Elena's face.

"What do you know, Katherine?" Stefan insisted, stepping forward, but Katherine only beamed at him. Elena scowled.

"Klaus is still alive," She annouced suddenly, becoming bored with the conversation. Katherine lead them into the living room, sitting on the near by sofa.

"What?" Elena stuttered. "That isn't possible," She argued.

"He had a witch do a spell and it preserved him inside a host body until his own was healed. He's alive," Katherine insisted again. "I've seen him," She then admitted, sounding sad.

"Who did he use? Is he still using him?" Elena pressed, sitting beside her.

"He was using Damon," Katherine replied softly. "It was partly why I returned. I heard what Klaus was going to do."

"Is Damon okay now?" Stefan pressed on, hoping to keep the conversation on topic.

"Yes," Katherine responded icily. "No thanks to you!"

"This is getting us no where," snapped Elena. "I just seen Damon the other day and he never mentioned being taken over by Klaus..."

"Why would he tell you, of all people, something like that?" shot back Katherine. "He put his heart out on the line for you, and you ripped it to bits, all to get with your precious_ Elijah_," scowled Katherine.

"I don't believe in_ lying _to people, _Katherine_," Elena said, wincing at her own words. She had lied though, and she had did a real number on Damon in the process. As she wasn't in love with Damon, Elena could never hope to make up for what she had done, because she would never be able to return his feelings. And it was something Damon wanted the most from her.

"Look, Katherine," Stefan interjected. "We just want to know how to wake up Elijah and Rebekah."

"You can't," Katherine replied, shaking her head. "Not with Klaus back. He's so paranoid now, he'll never let it happen. Not now. Not when he knows that you're human again, Elena."

"But I was a vampire," Elena argued. "How can I still be the doppelganger?"

"It's the blood," Katherine said. "It's the human blood that he needs. Now that you're human, he can use it again. He can use you."

"But there is a way to free Elijah and Rebekah?" Elena insisted.

"Klaus has a witch that he used to spell those daggers. Kill the witch, and it will free Elijah and Rebekah. You'll be able to remove the daggers."

"Who is it, Katherine?" Stefan asked, stepping forward when Katherine stood up suddenly near Elena.

"Mary Gilbert," Katherine replied with a smirk.

Stefan then was gone in a flash, off to the Gilbert house, before Elena could say anything else.

"Who is Mary Gilbert?" Elena asked, breathless, suddenly realizing that a murder was about to happen so she could get what she wanted.

"Young Jeremy Gilbert's new bride," quipped Katherine, her eyes dancing at the look of sudden pain in Elena's eyes. "Remember that family, don't you, Elena? How much pain will they endure, all because of you?"

Elena then turned and rushed out of the large house, hoping she'd reach the Gilbert house before Stefan had the chance to snap Mary Gilbert's neck. There had to be another way.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Elena breathed a sigh of relief upon finding Stefan, who was standing across the street from the Gilbert house. It was late evening, and Jeremy Gilbert would not be expecting any visitors. Especially the adopted sister he never knew and one of her many vampire friends.

Elena could still remember the moment she had first met Jeremy in high school. It had been great, but had went quickly awkward after she explained her family connection to him. He had requested she stay away from his father, who had spent years trying to get over what happened to his mother and Elena. Grayson Gilbert had believed she had died along side his wife. Elena had chosen to keep her distance from the Gilberts despite her curiousity.

"He might not even remember me, Stefan," Elena said softly, continuing to look at the house. "Please tell me you're not planning to kill his wife. His father and stepmother died in the plane crash just last year. He doesn't need more pain," Elena said, finishing her plea.

"I won't kill her, if she'll help us," Stefan replied, listening to Elena. "If she doesn't, I'll make her a vampire. I can't lose Rebekah, Elena. I won't."

Elena sighed, deciding not to argue. She knew what it was like to love someone, to need someone, that much. She wasn't sure herself, if she'd just be able to walk away, if Mary Gilbert decided not to help them.

Stefan then started towards the house, and Elena hurried after him.

* * *

"Yes?" said a young woman, with light blond hair, opening the Gilbert's front door. She was dressed in a simple white sweater and jeans. Elena thought she looked very pretty.

"I hear that you were recently in contact with an original hybrid," began Stefan, barging past the young woman, and Elena gave her a look that said I'm sorry before following Stefan inside. Mary appeared to be alone in the house.

"My agreement is with Klaus," Mary started, realizing that Stefan was a vampire almost instantly. "I helped him, and my part is done. Who are you?" She then insisted.

"I'm the vampire that you're going to help wake up his original girlfriend," said Stefan strongly, stepping forward threateningly. "Or I'm going to go find Jeremy and snap his neck. He's still at work right now, isn't he?"

"What?" Mary was startled to hear that the vampire knew so much about her husband. "Please, don't hurt him. Jeremy just wants this to be over. So we can finally have a good life."

"Stefan doesn't want to hurt you or your family, Mary," replied Elena, stepping between her and Stefan. "But we need to end the spell you cast. Elijah and Rebekah don't deserve this."

"What I did was stop the vampire side of them which preserved their bodies. Eventually, their bodies will decay though. Then, there will be no saving them," Mary said, taking obvious joy from what she had done.

"Why are you doing this, Mary?" asked Elena gently, happy that Stefan was allowing her to take the lead.

"When I was six years old, a vampire came and killed my father for crossing him. It was Elijah. My father gave information to Klaus on where to find him. Elijah wouldn't forgive him. My father had no choice."

Elena winced guilitily. She knew what an unforgiving temper that Elijah was capable of having. If anyone crossed him, he did not forgive. It wasn't in his nature. Elena had been the only exception so far that she knew of. "So you helped Klaus, to get revenge. Even used Damon, although he did nothing to you."

"No vampire is innocent, Elena," said Mary, surprising Elena. "Yes, I know who you are. Jeremy told me about you, and what the originals did to you. Yet you want to help them..."

"I love Elijah, Mary," Elena said simply, cutting the woman off. "I can't explain it. I know how dangerous he is, yet I still feel the way I do. I want to save him and his sister... Will you help us?"

"I cannot reverse the spell... there is no way..."

"Then you give me no choice, Mary," snapped Stefan. "Stefan, no!" cried Elena. Before she could move, Mary Gilbert was sitting dead on her sofa with her neck broken.

Elena could only stare helplessly at the woman, who stared back at her with dead eyes.

"The spell should be reversed," said Stefan gently, helping Elena up to her feet from where she was seated. "But I need to find Damon first, to make sure he still isn't under Klaus's control."

"I'm going back to Elijah..." replied Elena shakily. She pushed free of Stefan's hands.

"Elena..."

"Just stay away from me," snapped Elena, fighting to stay on her feet before hurrying out the front door.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Elena headed back to the Mikaelson house, hoping to find Elijah there and wide awake. She forced back tears and dark thoughts of Mary Gilbert, trying to only focus on reuniting with Elijah. He had forgiven her of her past, and was able to recall that he did love her despite everything she had done to lay ruin to his trust. Elena was hopeful they would be able to make a relationship work this time.

The biggest thing that they'd have to face next though was not her vampirism. It was, once again, her humanity and what it would mean for them.

Elijah could not give her a family, but he could give her his love. It was something she had desired since first meeting him, if Elena really wanted to be honest with herself. Right from the start there had been an unspoken connection between them. He left, he was drawn back. Elena tried to stay away from him, but somehow he was always there when she had needed him to be. She had reached a point where she could no more deny her love for Elijah than she could needing air to survive as a human.

She opened the door and saught out Elijah. Elena returned to where she had left him, and gasped in surprise. He was already gone.

Elena then let out a scream, feeling a hand close over her mouth. She looked up with terrified eyes to see it was Klaus that was holding her. "Where is Elijah?" She gasped when he released her mouth from his hand. Klaus then stepped away from her, smiling knowingly.

"I released my brother from my service. After so many decades, I figured it was time to let him have some happiness. In other words, I have no idea where my dear brother is, sweetheart."

Elena began shaking when she realized that Klaus was stalking towards her. He was not done with her yet. "You're lying," She spat, letting her anger take hold. "Elijah wouldn't leave me without a goodbye."

Secretly, Elena felt her heart splitting into pieces. Oh yes he would. Especially if he was angry with her. He had left before without a goodbye. But she would never tell Klaus that.

"You really don't know my big brother very well then, Elena," beamed Klaus, laughing cruely. "He left the first, and he abandon the second after he felt betrayed. Why would you be any different to him?"

"Stop it," Elena whispered softly. "Please, where is he?"

Klaus suddenly appeared right before her, cupping her face. "You should have fallen for me instead, Elena, you know. I would have never broken your heart."

The tears fell furiously then, and Elena looked away, ashamed to display her feelings to this monster. "Please..." She begged. "Leave me alone."

Klaus cupped her face with both hands and locked his eyes to hers. He was about to compell her and Elena couldn't pull away. "I will help you, Elena," He spoke softly. "You will continue to live your life, here. But you will no longer seek out Elijah. You will move on with your life, forgetting him, and what he was to you. Elijah will be an old family friend that you recall faintly, nothing more. A son of Mikael's you have not seen in many years."

Klaus stopped and wiped away the tears from her cheeks. Elena still stared hopelessly, brokenly, with her eyes locked to his. "You will have a life, Elena Flemming. One day you will marry and have the family you have dreamed of since your girlhood. You will have children and grandchildren. You will be happy, Elena."

Klaus then broke eye contact, guiding Elena to a near by sofa. She was still compelled, and Klaus took a moment to simply admire the broken little human before him. He could see why his brother had been so quickly taken to this one too. In a different time, perhaps he would have been himself. So much like Tatia, so entirely human.

"Brother, you can come out now and bid your farewells. I have fixed things for you."

Elijah slowly stepped out from a series of book shelfs and slowly moved towards Elena who sat motionless on the sofa. "Are you certain this will work, Niklaus?"

"She will never remember her feelings for you, mate," Klaus replied, taking note of the sudden emotion that was in his brothers manner. "And if she by chance ever does, after this one brother, I'm certain the lovely Miss Flemming will never forgive you this anyway. So it won't matter, either way, Elijah."

Elijah sat across from Elena and slowly met her lips with his. "I will never forgive myself for the time we lost together. But you have a real chance now, my love. If you ever discover my deception, may you find it within your heart to forgive me, no matter how unworthy I may be. " He then took her hands in his and kissed them. "Forget, Elena. Forget, all of it, and move on. Have the life you deserve, away from the hell my family and myself created for you."

Elijah released her hands and then stood, forcing himself not to look at her again. "Do it," He told Klaus, his voice hard.

"You know, dear brother. Just because she will forget you, it doesn't mean this plan of yours will work. There are still the Salvatores a foot."

"I know," replied Elijah, his tone emotionless. But his eyes spoke of how he really felt about that. "But after everything, this is what she needs."

Elijah then left the house, never looking back.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

She woke up at Alaric Saltzman's house with no memory of the last ten years. Rick had told her they had become good friends after her investigating her family history. He had been married to her biological mother while going to college, but the marriage failed, and after a quick divorce he never seen Isobel again.

The Salvatores soon appeared again in her life. Elena refused to open that door again, although she recalled very little of her time with the both of them. The one thing Elena remembered the most about Damon and Stefan was how very confusing everything had become between them. Elena had grown to care deeply for both brothers, however, she felt no romantic attachment for either of them. At least, not at this point in her life.

Alaric encouraged her to return to school. Elena went to the near by college, just outside of Mystic Falls, taking some courses in writing. There had been a man who had captured her attention. The relationship had been brief, ending when Elena again realized she wasn't in love. It turned out that they had attended high school together. His name was Matt Donavan. He had been sweet, good looking, charming, and really seemed to feel something for her. But Elena just couldn't return his feelings.

After finishing college, Rick still allowed her to stay. They had remained good friends, and Alaric seemed to treat her as if she were a daughter to him. It felt really good to have someone care that much, and they didn't expect anything that Elena wasn't capable of giving. Rick went on to date Jenna Sommers again. When they were planning to get married, Rick took her aside and offered to give her his loft. He would be moving in with Jenna. Elena greatfully accepted his offer, having no other choices for the moment.

By the age of thirty, Elena was settled into a job at a local newspaper that had just opened up. She wrote a few different articles and she was paid well. A new relationship had begun with a new writer, Christian Sandon. It had been unexpected and surprising, and very sweet. He had a rare kindness about him, and he was a true gentleman. Qualties that had made Elena fall for him hard. She had never believed it was possible before, but she was actually in love. The feeling made her feel like a teenager again when there was still possibilities.

Christian asked her to marry him during their first anniversary. They were together and happy, and Elena had no reason to refuse him. But she did. She couldn't figure out why, but she had told him no. It had been on instinct. Christian still wanted to be with her, accepting her answer as meaning she wasn't ready and that was okay with him. Elena only fell more in love with him as result, but she still felt that she couldn't marry him.

A year later, Elena realized why she couldn't marry the man of her dreams. He was there for her when the man she had loved first had up and left her with no reason given other than it was for the best. He had forgiven her, but when it came down to it, she just wasn't worth the bother. Elena used those feelings of abandonment he had created within her to allow herself to be open to someone else.

Everyone had believed the compelling had worked. Elena knew that she had to act as if it had in order to be left alone.

Still, after all of that trouble, she still couldn't bring herself to let Elijah go completely.

She still loved him, and that was why she kept telling Christian that she couldn't say yes. There was a part of her that still hoped that he would come back for her. That he wouldn't just simply accept that she had forgotten everything and had moved on.

How could she ever forget how much she loved Elijah?

One night after leaving work and heading for the parking lot, Elena sensed that she wasn't alone. That she was being watched.

Hopeful, and a little frightened, she turned around. Strong arms gripped her waist and teeth sunk into her neck. Elena screamed and was taken over by a strong wave of familiarity as the vampire eased her to the ground as he fed. His scent, the feel of him, his touch... She then tasted blood before she died with a smile to her face. At last, he had come for her.

* * *

"Why couldn't you let me go? You'd have everything you ever wanted."

"Not everything. Not you."

Those were the last words spoken by Elena Flemming while she lived.

**The End**

**A little different ending, I know. My idea is that Elijah returned for her after seeing that Elena would never accept a 'normal life' and made her a vampire again so they could always be together. **


End file.
